Exterior of vending machine.
Houston Code of Ordinances § 20-208
in effectSec. 20-208. - Exterior of vending machine.
(a) The vending machine shall be of sturdy construction and the exterior shall be designed, fabricated, finished and maintained to facilitate its being kept clean and to minimize the entrance of insects and rodents. The exterior of the machine shall be kept clean.
(b) Door and panel access openings to the food and container storage spaces of the machine shall be tight-fitting, and if necessary, gasketed to prevent the entrance of dust, moisture, insects and rodents.
(c) All ventilation louvers or openings into vending machines shall be effectively screened. Screening material for openings into food and container storage spaces of the machine shall be not less than 16 mesh to the inch or equivalent. Screening materials for openings into condenser units which are separated from food and container storage spaces shall be not less than 8 mesh to the inch or equivalent.
(d) In all vending machines in which the condenser unit is an integral part of the machine, such unit, when located below the food and container storage space, shall be separated from such space by a dust-proof barrier, and when located above, shall be sealed from such space.
(e) In order to prevent seepage underneath the machine and to promote cleaning, free-standing vending machines shall have one or more of these elevation or movability features:
(1) Be light enough to be manually moved with ease by one person; or
(2) Be elevated on legs or extended sidewalls to afford, with or without kickplates, an unobstructed vertical space of at least six (6) inches (15 and 24-hundredths centimeters) under the machine; or
(3) Be mounted on rollers or casters which permit easy movement; or
(4) Be sealed to the floor.
Where used, kickplates shall be easily removable or be capable of being rotated. These kickplates shall be designed and installed to make the area under the machine easily accessible for routine cleaning without unlocking the cabinet door.
(f) Counter type machines shall be:
(1) Sealed to the counter; or
(2) Mounted on 4-inch (10.16 cm) legs or the equivalent; or
(3) Easily movable for cleaning with service connections in place.
(g) All service connections through an exterior wall of the machines, including water, gas, electrical and refrigeration connections, shall be grommeted, or closed with no opening larger than 1/32 inch (0.79 mm) to prevent the entrance of insects and rodents. All service connections to machines vending time/temperature controlled for safety (TCS) food shall be such as to discourage their unauthorized or unintentional disconnection.
(Code 1968, § 19-608; Ord. No. 83-744, § 1, 5-17-83; Ord. No. 07-1051, §§ 3, 6(Exh. B), 9-12-07; Ord. No. 2015-1202, § 96, 12-2-2015)
Source: City of Houston, Code of Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/houston/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH20FODR_ARTIVVEMA_S20-208EXVEMAFetched: 10/26/2026